The Plenary Review

A couple of weeks ago, Melissa Harris-Lacewell, associate professor of politics and African-American studies at Princeton, commented on the crisis of the black public intellectual in the age of Obama. And she put it down.

In her piece, Harris-Lacewell takes to task what she calls the “soul patrol,” the group of black, male intellectuals (Tavis Smiley, Dr. Cornell West, Michael Eric Dyson and others) who are critical of President Obama’s approach to race  – which is to be race neutral instead of explicitly acknowledging race in his agenda.  

Harris-Lacewell’s criticisms center on the modern role of the black intellectual, and how, on the lecture circuit, they suggest that ”they, not Obama, are the authentic representatives of the political interests of African-Americans.” Says Harris-Lacewell:

African-Americans are now citizens capable of running for office, holding officials accountable through democratic elections, publicly expressing divergent political preferences and, most importantly, engaging the full spectrum of American political issues, not only narrowly racial ones. The era of racial brokerage politics, when the voices of a few men stood in for the entire race, is now over. And thank goodness it is over. Black politics is growing up.

There are several other wonderful points from her commentary, but instead of posting large blocks of quotes from her column, I suggest reading it in its entirety and giving her column the page hit attention that it deserves.

Related pieces that are worth reading:

Emerging Leaders Energized In The Black Community.

‘Post-racial’ America Isn’t Here Yet.